Among the varieties of political engagement of Christians within contemporary societies, religious associations and movements have been gaining an increasingly relevant role, also because of the changes in the political opportunity structure. Within Catholicism, Vatican Council II recognized the importance of laity commitment within the church and of church commitment within society, and a new generation of catholic groups has grown, characterised by a strong political commitment. In dealing with contemporary democracies, these groups developed different repertoires of action and different ideas about their political/public role. One of the most significant groups in Italy is Communion and Liberation (CL), born in the late ‘60. Its activities include religious, political, as well as economic engagement. In the most industrialized region of the country, Lombardy, CL has gained a prominent position, becoming one of the most influent, organized and powerful groups within the political sphere, able to express many representatives in public administrations. For instance, CL political leader Roberto Formigoni has been elected in 2010 president of the Region for the fourth time, reaching the record of longevity for this office in the Italian history. The paper aims to depict the most important features of the CL expansion in Lombardy and to analyse the way in which CL conceives its relations with politics and secular society. In particular, we apply a longitudinal (1996-2011) critical discourse analysis to a CL magazine, in order to review and investigate CL interpretations of its role within society, and its internal debates over political alliances and potential compromises.
